Pesto's Italian Restaurant

Went to Pesto's to meet with friends last Friday (they chose the restaurant). We found it surprisingly good, and a great value in spite of unexceptional reviews from friends. The outside is nondescript, but the inside was very nicely decorated and clean, with an efficient layout.  Our server was attentive and cheerful. The menu is large, and the menu items are rather overly-elaborate (one selection was: a bed of ravioli & asparagus with prosciutto- and cheese-topped chicken, topped with rosemary-skewered grilled shrimp, topped with sauce). Portions are huge and very reasonably priced. Everything we ordered was very good, though not fabulous. Pesto's is much better than Olive Garden, but not what I would consider fine dining. Order the breadsticks with Alfredo sauce. If you're dining with 6 or more, they will automatically add a gratuity of 18% (at least 2% less than I would have tipped). If it were closer to home I would go back, but I wouldn't make the drive just for the restaurant.

Pesto's is quite good for what it is...a family-owned Italian restaurant in a town of 50,000 that is located 45 minutes outside Chicago. It is not looking for fame, or for folks to drive from miles around. It is looking for people from the area with dining dollars to want to enjoy good food at someplace other than the chains that populate the area.

I was "back home" last weekend after a many year absence. My buddy suggested we go to Pestos and I willingly went along...imagine my shock when i realized the space was a converted Shakey's that we used to go to after high school football games.

the space is typical town Italian restaurant -- dark walls, tuscan prints, twinkly lights and fake vines. the host was a bit pretentious...asking if we had reservations when there obviously were tables available. But, we were happy to be seated without a wait.

Dining companion insisted on the breadsticks with alfredo dip, and i'm so glad she did. crispy, but not crunchy, on the outside, soft on the inside, with just enough seasoning and oil on the outside to be addictive. really wanted to eat more, but would have run out of room for my main.

house salad was a bit nicer than average....spring mix instead of iceberg or plain romaine. good croutons. tomatoes were anemic, but that's not surprising at any restaurant.

i ordered the pasta special -- butternut squash ravioli in a roasted garlic cream sauce. so so good. pasta was cooked perfectly and still had a bit of a bite. squash was seasoned well so you knew you were eating squash, but not overseasoned. garlic cream sauce was not too heavy, a bit peppery....really, really good.

service was friendly but not cloying. efficient yet not rushed. a really enjoyable meal with a good friend, and now i'm 1,000 miles away and craving those breadsticks....

This is by far the best restaurant I've been in Valparaiso, and one of my all-time favorites. I can't make a trip to my parents house without having dinner here. I recommend both the breadsticks and the bruschetta to start off with. The breadsticks are doughy and well-seasoned. You can choose from a few sauce options as well. The bruschetta is buttery and crunchy, and the tomato topping is super flavorful.

When it comes to entrees, they always have a fantastic seasonal special in addition to the classics. If you're there in the fall, try the butternut squash ravioli. If the specials don't intrigue you, the sausage risotto is amazing as is the garlic chicken and the pasta alla vodka.  

For dessert, they have a whole tray of delicacies made right in-house. Though they are not all Italian desserts, they are all delicious.

A must-try if you've never been there, and a must-return if you already have been.